ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · file · coach · cabinet · root · march · perch · roll

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. roll — a list
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. file — a tool
  6. march — the month
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. march — the month
  10. root — of a word
  11. pit — in a race
  12. roll — a cake
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. file — a document
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. perch — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pit — a hole
  23. march — music
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com